Adjustable plaster ear



May 9, 1944.

M. B. AUSTIN, JR 2,348,318

ADJUSTABLE PLASTER EAR Original Filed Oct. 24, 1940 Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT emce- Original application October 24,1940, Serial No. 362,515. Divided and this application May 6,

1941, SerialNo. 392,051

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to outlet boxes in electrical systems, and this application is a division of my application Serial No. 362,515, filed October 24, 1940.

More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved adjustable means for securing an outlet box to a wall structure.

Adjustable means are generally provided on outlet boxes for securing them to a wall in order to regulate the depth of the box with reference to the surface of wall coverings of various thicknesses. Owing to the relatively wide range of thickness of Wall covering materials commonly used, such as plaster, plasterboard, and various types of nonplaster coverings, a relatively Wide range of adjustment is required.

Heretofore, slotted fastening ears or brackets have been provided which were secured to the sides of an outlet box by means of screws extending through the slots. While reversal of the ears provided two ranges of adjustment, each range was limited by engagement of the screws with th end of the slot, and a relatively wide span remained in which the bracket. could not be ad- .iusted.

According to the present invention, an adjustable and reversible bracket or plaster ear is provided of relatively simple and convenient construction, which eliminates or materially lessens the span between the ranges of adjustment resulting upon reversing the bracket.

Moreover. according to the present invention, the bracket may be conveniently removed for reversing its position merely by loosening the fastening means even though the latter comprises a pair of aligned set screws engaging a single slot and even though the removal of the bracket from the box by sliding it outward toward the edge of the box is obstructed by a projection, such as an attaching ear having a cover plate.

Preferably, means is also provided to maintain the wall-engaging portion of the plaster ear parallel to the edge of the box, so that the box can be correctly positioned without special attention to the angular position of the bracket on the part of the workman.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of an outlet box according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the outlet box showing an adjustable plaster ear in upright position.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 but shows the plaster ear in inverted position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the attaching ear.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one end of the outlet box showing the plaster ear in upright position as in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the outlet box is constructed of sheet metal or some other suitable material and comprises a bottom Wall I0, end walls i l and side walls l2. The end Walls II and bottom wall I 0 are shown as integral, While the side walls are removable to permit a plurality of boxes to be used side by side as a gang box.

At the upper edges of the end walls H, a pair of outwardly extending attaching ears I3 are provided for securing a cover plate to the box. Semipunehed portions or knockouts M are provided in the side and end walls, said knockouts having slots l5 for the insertion of a screw driver or other tool whereby they may be pried out and removed to form apertures in the walls for receiving electrical conductors. A similar knockout I6 in the bottom wall It] is adapted to form an aperture suitable for receiving electrical connections or for attaching the box to a bar hanger or other fixture supporting means.

The knockouts in the end walls are D-shaped with their straight edges coinciding with the bot tom walls of the box, and suitable clamping means may be provided, as shown in my original application above referred to, for clamping cables extending through the resulting apertures. Ex tension of the D-shaped knockouts to the bottom wall of the box avoids the formation of a ridge which would tend to injure the insulation of the conductors when the clamping means is tightened.

According to the present invention, the adjustable means provided 'for securing the outlet box to a portion of a wall structure comprises a pair of ears or brackets, each having a flange I! which extends outward at right angles from the end walls H of the box, and which is provided with means, such as holes I8, for securing the flange to a portion of a wall structure.

A bifurcated portion comprising two parallel tongues I9 forming a slot 20, is bent at right angles to flange l1 and is secured against the surface of the end wall H of the box by means of a pair of set screws 2| extending through the slot 20 and engaging the tongues l9 on either side thereof.

Preferably, the surface of the end wall H is indented to provide a pair of parallel shoulders 22 for engaging the parallel outer edges of tongues l9 to retain the flange ll parallel to the upper edge of the box. 7

Adjacent the junction of the flange I! and tongues 19, the slot 26 is widened, as indicated at 23, sufliciently to accommodate the width of the attaching ear l3 on ,the upper edge of end wall I I, and the widened portion is extended into flange i1 forming an opening 24 to permit the bracket or plaster ear to be slid upward until flange I1 is'fiush with the upper edges of the box, the ear [3 fitting into the extended and widened portion 23 of the slot 20. The opening 24 which communicates with slot is also wider than the heads of screws 2| so that it is possible for removal of the bracket to slide itv downward past the set screws 2| merely by loosening thelatter,

but without the necessity of removing them.

In order to provide a range of adjustment for relatively thick wall coverings, the position of a the bracket, as shown in Fig. 2, may be reversed in the manner shown in Fig. 3. By virtue of the widened opening 24 communicating with the slot l9, this reversal may be conveniently eilected without removal of any other part of the box, and as a result of this reversibility,position of the flanges ll. may be adjusted within wide limits for securing the box 1 at different levels with reference to the wall structure to which said flangesare attached. Thus the box may be mounted so that its edges are flush with a wide range of thicknesses of Wall covering, such as Wallboard, plaster, plasterboard, lath, metal lath,

etc. I r

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim: 1; In an outlet box havingan ear for attaching a cover'plate projectiong outward from a side wall of the box at-right angles to the front edge of the boxadjustable means for securing the said box to awall structure at varying depths, comprising an angular-bracket consisting of a pair of flanges disposed in mutual angular relation, one of said flanges having means for securing it to a wall structure, and-an opening therein extending to the junction of the flanges, said opening being of sufficient size to receive and straddle said projecting attaching ear; the other flange 7 having a relatively narrow slot extending from said opening to the end of the flange, normal to the junction of the flanges, said slot being widened adjacent the said opening to receive said attaching ear; and means carried by the said wall of the box below and in alignment with said ear extending through the slot to engage the edges thereoffor fastening the bracket to said well, said opening, in the first-mentioned flange being adapted .to slide over said slot-engaging means when the latter loosely engages the edges of the slot so' that said bracket may be removed by sliding thesame-in eitherldirection until the slotengagingnieans is displaced from saidv slot through the open end thereof, or the communicating opening of the other flange.

2. In an outlet box having an ear for attaching a cover plate projecting outward from a sidewall of the box at right angles to the front edge ofthe box, adjustable means for securing the said box to a wall structure at varying depths, comprising an angular bracket consisting of a pair of flanges disposed in mutual angular relation, one of said flanges having means for se- 25 curingit to a wall structure, and an opening therein extending to the junction of the flanges, said opening being of sufflcient size to receive and straddle said projecting attaching ear; the other flangehaving a relatively narrow slot extending from said opening 'to the end of the flange, normal to the junction of the flanges, said slot being widened adjacent the said opening to receive said attaching ear; and means carried by the said wall of the box below and in alignment with said car extending through the slot to engage the edges thereof for fastening the bracket to said wall, said opening in the first-mentioned flange being adapted to slide over said slot-engaging means when the latter loosely engages the edges of the 40Jslot so that'said bracket may be removed by sliding the same in either direction until the lotengaging means is displaced from said slot through the open end thereof, or the communicating opening of the other flange, that portion of the wall of the box engaged by said flange being depressed to the extent of the thickness of the flange and engaging the side edges of the flange to form a guideway therefor.

MERRITT B. AUSTIN, JR. 

